Philippines-based regenerative seaweed supply chain platform Coast 4C recently secured a EUR 2.1 million (USD 2.5 million) seed round investment to scale its digital platform for smallholder seaweed farmers, enabling them to increase productivity and give global processors access to consistent supply.
The investment came from U.K.-based global aquaculture investment firm Hatch Blue’s Blue Revolution Fund (BRF), which is a EUR 92 million (USD 104.6 million) fund intended for investments in sustainable aquaculture.
"Smallholder farmers have long been treated as grant recipients rather than equity-backed producers,” Hatch Blue Principal Sol Park said. “Having supported Coast 4C through our accelerator and pre-seed fund, Hatch Blue has seen firsthand what this company is capable of. BRF's investment is our way of proving that impact-oriented companies can sustain institutional capital and that the sector is ready for it.”
Coast 4C is a platform that connects seaweed farmers to global buyers. Hatch Blue added in the release that Southeast Asia produces the majority of the world’s carrageenan, which is a seaweed-derived ingredient used in cosmetics, foods, and pharmaceuticals. Disruptions in supply chains limits quality and consistency, Hatch Blue explained, but Coast 4C counteracts those disruptions by providing a platform for technical support, inputs, and market access. Additionally, the company supports sustainability with regenerative farming practices and community management of protected areas.
"The successful completion of the funding round marks a pivotal moment for Coast 4C,” Coast 4C Founder and CEO Nick Hill said. “We will use the proceeds from the seed round to reach breakeven ahead of a Series A round, driving scale initially within Southeast Asia before expanding into other regions. We also plan to expand our farmer network across coastal communities and complete the rollout of our digital farm management and traceability platform."
Co-investors in the fund included Conservation International Ventures, Elea, RS Group, Potato Impact Partners, Minderoo Foundation, Kibo Invest, and Azulito Fund. The funding award was announced at the Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly during London Climate Week – an event co-hosted by the Earthshot Prize and Bloomberg Philanthopies. Coast 4C was a 2024 finalist for the Earthshot Prize.
“There’s a lack of investment going to Southeast Asian seaweed despite it being one of the world’s top producers,” Potato Impact Partners Director of Impact Investments and Strategy Bernice Tang said. “The region faces a bottleneck in quality supply that has repercussions on the industry. We need companies like Coast 4C to help change that.”
Additional closing legal costs for the seed funding round were finalized through a grant from the Blue Carbon Action Partnership, which is an initiative hosted by the World Economic Forum and the UK Government’s COAST program.
“We're excited to partner with Coast 4C, one of the few entrepreneurial models building real economic opportunity for marginalized coastal communities,” Elea Executive Director Stéphanie Abels said. “By turning seaweed farming into a viable livelihood, the company gives these communities both the means and the incentive to protect the marine ecosystems they depend on.”
